There are some great wedding gift ideas from Kate Spade up at discounted prices on One Kings Lane right now. Sale ends 7/12 so hurry up! Check it out!
Some of our favorites…
Pickney Street Peony Bowl $75
Marlboro Street Rose Bowl $89
June Lane Double Invitation Frame $69
Hello lovelies! I’m so very sorry I have been missing for so long! I have been attending weddings that you will hear about soon enough! I’m awaiting some spectacular photos from two incredible and very different weddings and I can’t wait to share them with you all! This weekend I’m heading up to Boston for the “Stateside Reception” portion of Nicole & Jake’s tropical paradise wedding. They married with their closest friends and family in the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago and are now hosting a rockin’ Boston Harbor reception this weekend to celebrate again! How great right? Here’s a sneak peek at some of Nicole & Jake’s amazing destination wedding photos. More to come!
Don’t forget! The Wedding Belles discount code for CUSTOMIZED SOCKS from Erin Borges is almost over! (Offer expires July 1st).
Order your groom, groomsmen, father or father-in-law sweet socks customized for your special day!
BUY 2- GET 1! Just use code WDNGBELLES in the notes section when you email Erin your order and choose your sock thread color, and she’ll throw in pair number three!
It’s a wrap. Chris and Jill’s beautiful wedding day arrived with fanfare, friends and was… simply fabulous. This is the way that weddings should be. Simple, unique to you, with all the wonderful details that make it the most memorable of days. Much, much more to come on this wonderful lakeside wedding. Here’s just a little bit to check out in the meantime…
So I kind of love the rehearsal dinner festivities. It’s a gret welcome for the weekend, sets the tone, the mood… Excellent. My favorite kind of rehearsal dinenrs, are the really laid back, casual yet chic ones. Ya know looks like you didn’t put too much effort in, but turns out the effort is in the details. Yes. I loev those.
And what better way to welcome guests than with super adorable decor.
Here are a few of my favorite items from Etsy.
COCKTAIL STIRRERS
Every drink is better with instructions, especially when it’s on pretty paper like this!
Sip and Repeat Cocktail Stirrers 12 for $10 from Miss Pickles Press
CUSTOMIZED “SPREAD THE LOVE” LABELS
Custom "Spread the Love" labels 12 for $15 from Miss Pickles Press
These are super cute and can be customized as delicious and sweet favors for guests.
They can be customized with your name, a date, and the contents of the jar (honey, pumpkin butter, strawberry jam, etc.)
DETAILS:
- label measures approx 3.5 x 2.25, best suited for small jars
- colors are pink and orange; can be customized
- text can be customized as well (names, event date, contents of jar)
CUSTOMIZED BBQ CUTLERY PACKETS
BBQ Cutlery Packets 12 for $15
Super adorable and perfect for that backyard rehearsal dinner! Bold, vintage type and fun, polka dot silverware art lives on kraft cutlery envelopes. All you have to do is stuff with your favorite utensils and VOILA… DONE!
DETAILS:
- Choose from sayings: “GOOD GRUB”, “CHOW DOWN” and “DEE-LISH”
- if you’d like a mix just ask, and Miss Pickles will try to accommodate you!
“LOVE SWEET LOVE” OUTDOOR GARLAND
"Love , Sweet Love" Garland from Ay Mujer $23
Love this! Hang these in customized colors for a little extra festive in your event!
Ok. If you’ve never heard of this fabulously whimsical tabletop decor, sit yourself down and prepared to be schooled. Since 1983, ( a very good year) MacKenzie- Childs has been spreading whimsy to the world through their super fab tabletop ceramics and home furnishings. Everything you can imagine. Serving dishes, plates, cake stands, planters, birdhouses, rugs, tables, dressers, chairs, mirrors, glassware, enamelware, place mats, knobs, sinks… you get my point.
Anyway, every year they have a barn sale in Aurora, NY where the artists create this fantabulous work. So this year, I grabbed some Starbucks with some of my favorite people and braved the crowds and the cars to get some serious deals (We’re talking 60-80% off kids) on beautiful gifts (yes I did buy some things for OTHER people- and this stuff is GREAT shower gift material) and gifts for myself!
The Grounds at MacKenzie-Childs in Aurora, NY
Barn Sale Entrance
There are two areas. One barn was filled with enamelware (Courtly Check mostly) Glassware, and miscellaneous seasonal and decorative items. They have paper bags available for free for you to hoard your finds, or reusable bags for $5 were on sale. Though, you’re better off just bringing your own reusable canvas bags. I even saw some women with carts. Seriously.
Inside the Barn
The tent area this year was filled with the bigger stuff. Rugs, Lighting, Mirrors, Sinks, tiles, Outdoor and all of the ceramics (dishes, bowls, cake stands, trivets you name it) They’ll hold the bigger items for you for about an hour before they put it out for the scavengers.
Some of our finds...
It was a lot of fun. We got there the second day (It runs for 3) a little after 8am, the crowds were pretty tame and the parking lots (muddy fields- come on we’re upstate here) were not nearly full. We were out of there by 10:30, and let me tell you, by the time we left…Wooo!
Get there before 10am. That’s all I can say. One woman who was working there told us someone had come through and spent $20,000 on product…no furniture. Madness. But it was a blast and we got a lot of great deals. Be prepared to throw an elbow or two if need be, but you’ll get great deals and stock up on wedding and shower gifts for the whole YEAR.
For a better reality check of what this sale actually entails… click here.
It’s that time again… Salute your inner prepster. It’s summer. Why not? If you bestie frequently sports a string of pearls, a popped collar, madras flip flops and anything with a whale… this post is for you lady. Listen up.
A shower should be a reflection of all that the bride is, so if your bride-to-be is a seriously put together, pink and green model of preppy perfection make your life easy and follow suit for her bridal shower.
Here’s everything you need to know to plan a perfectly preppy bridal shower.
THE INVITATIONS
This is your first clue to guests that this shower is going to be pretty-in-prep. So shop around and set the tone here.
Preppy Stripe Invitation from MyGatsby.com
Andalucia Green Invitation by Bliss from Paper Buzz
Preppy Gingham, Plaid and Polka Dot Invitation by Polka Dot Paper Shop
THE DRESSES
I’m a pretty firm believer that bridal shower attire should always still remain a little bit on the dressy side. Not over the top evening wear obviously, as they used to say, your Sunday best. But if you’re a pretty little preppy I shouldn’t have to tell you that. You wear your pearls to sleep don’t you? What? I do.
These fun new “Summer in the Vineyard” dresses from Kiel James Patrick are PERFECT for a preppy shower, whether it’s the bride, her maids or her lovely ladies in waiting, these sweet summer frocks are perfect for a preppy shower.
Lindy Mayfair Dress from Kiel James Patrick $68
Chartner Meadow Melon Dress from Kiel James Patrick $68
April Darling Dress from Kiel James Patrick $68
OR
go traditionally preppy and sport something in Lilly, and J.Crew or Vineyard Vines with looks like these…
Bowen Dress Solid Lace by Lilly- $248
Embossed Green Lorelei Dress $118
Vines Skylark Dress by Vineyard Vines $295
THE CENTERPIECES
If you were lucky enough to hit up the MacKenzie Childs Barn Sale last weekend (which was amazing) you can make use of the seriously discounted and seriously adorable planters they have to decorate tables. If not, you just have to dig a little deeper in your pocket. Plant adorably simple herbs like rosemary, basil, parsley and thyme and DIY your own adorable plant sticks with materials from your local craft store.
Courtly Check Planter $25 from MacKenzie- Childs
Pink & Yellow Stripe Planter $25 from MacKenzie-Childs
THE DECORATIONS
Keep it simple and in the same color scheme as your invites. Using varying shades of fewer colors is a good way to keep things interesting without going overboard. I love this faux rose kissing ball from Special Occasions Designs. Perfect for decorating outside the venue on iron stakes or on the doors.
Floral Kissing Balls $20 from Special Occasions Designs (Etsy)
Hang personalized tags on chairs as place cards instead of using table cards.
Personalized Hang Tags- $5.95 for set of 12 from paper Eclectiques (Etsy)
Buy up sets of fun and flirty party poms to hang from the ceiling from Etsy seller Party Poms or DIY with this easy tutorial from Martha over on In The Details Blog!
Girl Fun set of 5 from Party Poms on Etsy $25
Pom Pom Decor from Martha Stewart
THE FAVORS
Fill tiny monogrammed boxes with flower seeds for guest to take home and plant. If you’re more of a traditionalist fill with small candies, nuts or dried fruits for guests to take on the way out, or place at each place setting.
Personalized Gift Boxes $2.50 each from Special Occasion Designs (Etsy)
Monogrammed Compact Mirror from The Preppy Polka Dot
GIFT GIVING
Distribute these adorably preppy recipe cards from Dabney Lee at Home with the invitations and have guests bring their favorite recipe for the bride to the shower.
Dabney Lee Recipe Box
Kate Spade Posy Vases are perfect to brighten up a room…
Kate Spade Posy vases $49 on Sale!
Monogrammed Candlepot from Pottery Barn
Don’t forget to say THANK YOU…
Mind your manners and get your thank you notes out pronto on some super preppy paper.
Preppy Polka Dot Thank You from Dainty Invites
Kate Spade Thank You Notes $25
Oh ladies, ladies… we can’t forget about the boys can we? I know, I know a wedding is all about the bride right? It’s her day, her vision, her dream since she was five.
But, for a moment let’s recognize the men in your wedding world, in small and fabulous ways as they walk down the aisle with…
CUSTOMIZED SOCKS!
I love this! I featured these fabulous socks from Erin Borges in last week’s WED Favorites post, and Erin is offering up an exclusive offer to Wedding Belles readers!
BUY 2- GET 1! Just use code WDNGBELLES in the notes section when you email Erin your order and choose your sock thread color, and she’ll throw in pair number three!
Ok, now let me break it down for you. Get a pair for your hubby…
A pair for the father of the bride…
and get pair for the father of the groom FREE!
Choose any combo AND color you like
(Groom/Father of the Bride/Best man/Groomsmen/Father-in-law) and get the third pair free.
PLUS
Erin is working on new and fabulous socks for the groomsmen/best man and customized socks with the couple’s names for guests! Throw them in big beautiful buckets by the doors as parting gifts for guests, or position them near the dance floor for real comfort!
Don’t Forget…
Enter WDNGBELLES in the notes section when you choose your thread color!
This discount code is good until July 1, 2009. All socks must be the same color and be shipped to the same address.
HAPPY SHOPPING LADIES!
Hump Day is here again! And as always here, are my WED Favorites for Wednesday! Happy browsing!
SO Pretty…
Ivory Silk Garter with Buckle by Woomi (Etsy) $34
Silk Garter by Woomi (Etsy) $34
These are a must for any groom-to-be . Also available in GREEN, BROWN and GREY.
Black Groom's Socks by Erin Borges (Etsy) $30
Plus her great Father of the Bride socks too!
Father of the BRide Socks by Erin Borges (Etsy) $30
Classic Elegance. I love it.
Celine Bracelet (triple strand) by Luxe Deluxe (Etsy) $76
This is as touchy subject. Constant watercooler chatter on the wedding planning circuit among brides and grooms-to-be- is the “child debate”. Couples are always debating whether keeping their guest list strictly adult will hurt their guests feelings by not including their children. There are two schools of thought on this…
#1 Leave the kiddies at home
Look, here’s something you need to understand (parents of said children)… When you got married no one tried to upstage your day by bringing along a gaggle of toddlers dressed to the nines, spitting up and teetering around to a chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs”. While we love your children and welcome them as a lovely addition to the world, we think you deserve a night off. Leave the kids at home. Get a sitter, dress yourself up and come out and party with your friends. We’ve missed you.
#2 Bring ‘em along…
On the other hand, there are those that think that excluding their friends and families children makes for long term strife that just might not be worth it. People actually get offended if their children are left off an invitation. They believe that their children are part of their world now and inviting them means inviting all of them and couples should just man up already.
Here’s a few things to remember…
You did this once before right? So you know how much these “parties” can cost. If a couple includes children, most venues will accomodate them with child prices and menu options so they’re not spending the normal $75 to $200 per person on children. No kid could consume THAT much mac n’ cheese. But depending on the number of children, this addition to the budget can make a serious dent.
In addition, inviting children means inviting your friends to not pay attention to you, and isn’t that the point of this day? I digress.
So you can really go one of three ways here…
OPT FOR THE ADULT ONLY RECEPTION
If you really want an adult only reception, say so on the invitation. Address the envelopes to the couple and use wording like ” Please join us at LOCATION directly following the ceremony for an adult-only reception.” Then let guests with children know that a sitter is on hand if need be, and let upset guests know that only children in the actual bridal party will be attending.
OR
COMPROMISE
Invite children to the ceremony only…
If it’s important for your friends children to be invited but you want to give your friends a break, invite them to the ceremony. Provided they’re well behaved or make good use of the cry room, a good way to compromise is to start here.
Hire a Sitter..
I worked a wedding a few years ago that was strictly an adult only reception. The bride told me that if I saw a child wandering about at the reception, I was to escort said child and their guardian out of the reception area calmly informing them that this party was a “KID FREE ZONE”. That may sound harsh, but the bride had gone to great lengths to plan an adult only reception that even her nephews weren’t invited to attend. So any additional child that caught a ride to the dance with his parents was simply asked to spend the evening with the hired sitter, who was in a nearby house entertaining a handful of mini’s with movies, popcorn, board games and more. Smart girl. Providing a sitter to people was quite a nice touch considering many of her guests were out of towners, plus it’s cheaper than hurting your friends feelings in the long run.
OR
INVITE THE KIDDIES
If you decide to invite children to your reception… entertain them. They don’t care about your wedding. Really. Create a “kiddie table” like the one that Katie & James created for their Annapolis Wedding. Load it up with crayons, coloring books, sunglasses etc to keep them busy. Here are some other “kid-friendly” ideas from Kate Parker Weddings.
Craft Table by Kate Parker Weddings
The Beach Table by Kate Parker Weddings
The Candy Table by Kate Parker Weddings
